Top Ten Tuesday 4/17/2012: Top Ten Tips for New Bloggers

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish.  This meme was created because we are particularly fond of lists here at The Broke and the Bookish.  We'd love to share our lists with other bookish folks and would LOVE to see your top ten lists!

Each week we will post a new top ten list complete with one of our bloggers' answers.  Everyone is welcome to join.  All we ask is that you link back to The Broke and the Bookish on your own Top Ten Tuesday post AND post a comment on our post with a link to your Top Ten Tuesday post to share with us and all those who are participating.  If you don't have a blog, just post your answers in the comments.

TOP TEN TIPS FOR NEW BLOGGERS

So, I have officially been book blogging for 1 year tomorrow (YAY ME!), but I'm no stranger to the blogging world.  I've had a blog in some form for over 7 years, so I think I've picked up a thing or two along the way.  I've also had a vlog channel for over 2 years, so some of these tips will also apply to youtube channels as well. 

1.  Have a clean layout!  I seriously cannot stress this enough.  If people cannot easily read and navigate your blog, they will give up and never come back.  Nothing deters me from following a blog more than a messy layout.  Make sure the font is easy to read and the font color and background color are easy on the eyes (no neon green on bright blue!).  Also keep all of your buttons and widgets up to date.  If the contest or countdown is over remove it from your sidebar! 

2.  For the love of God, NO MUSIC.  This applies to blogs and youtube.  Music will severely slow down your blogs load time, which is annoying as hell.  One of my greatest youtube pet peeves is people who are trying to do a book review but have music playing in the background so I can't hear what they're saying.  It is infuriating and often I'm really interested in hearing what they have to say, but because they just OMG LUV My Chemical Romance so much and HAVE to play it, I can't hear their opinions.  Nothing makes me click out of a video or blog faster than music in the background.

3.  Don't COPY!  I wish I could say this goes without saying, but sadly there is SO much copying in the blog world.  Even I've found places where my words have been copied.  If you feel the need to copy someone else's post, take a step back and really think about why you're blogging in the first place.  Let me just say now that blogging solely for ARCs will not work.  You will burn out long before your blog has enough of a following to catch the attention of any publishers.  If ARCs are the only reason you've started a blog, just stop now and save yourself some stress.

4.  Communicate with your readers/viewers.  When it comes to books, people love to talk about their opinions.  If someone comments on your blog, take the time to comment back.  You could get a great discussion going and you will also help form a relationship with a reader that will keep them coming back.  On the flip side, if you read a fantastic post or watch a great video, let the author know!  Comment telling them what you think or you could even make a response post.  Of course, if you are inspired by someone else's work link back to the original post.  By giving credit where credit is due, you not only help your readers find more good bloggers but you also show yourself to be an honest blogger.

5.  Don't get caught up with numbers, but try and be consistent.  I have spent way too much time stressing about how many followers/comments/visits my blog and youtube gets, and it can really wear you down.  Focus on your content and being an active participant in the community and people will come to you.  Just keep swimming. 

6.  Don't wait to write reviews.  This is advice I need to take myself.  I would write the review as soon as I finish the book, while it is fresh in my head.  You don't have to post it right away and building up a cushion of reviews will help you if you run into a busy time.  It is such a relief to have some reviews stored up ready to post during exam week or if you are sick. 

7.  Don't be an a-hole.  I don't really understand why, but the internet seems to have some magical powers that leads everyone to think they can be huge jerks.  Well, I'm here to tell you that being a jerk is one of the fastest ways to ruin your reputation.  Try and stay out of drama, resist the urge to post a nasty comment or tweet, and if you're planning on writing very negative reviews, expect some backlash.  I always try and approach everything I post as if I were doing this to a stranger on the street.  Would you tell a stranger they're an ugly fat bitch to their face?  No, so don't say it on the internet. 

8.  Have original content.  Be yourself and write with your own voice.  Don't try and force yourself to be snarky if you're not that way naturally.  Don't force yourself to write sophisticated and analytical reviews if you don't think that way.  You will burn yourself out and people will be able to tell you're faking it.  Try and figure out what the goal of your blog is and who your target audience is and write to that.  Also, memes are super fun, but if that's all your blog is people will get bored fast (and yes, I get the irony of say this in a meme post).  Try and balance your memes with reviews and other content.

9.  Have an easy to remember and unique name.  This is HUGE.  Spend some time thinking about your blog title because it is the first thing people see when they come to your blog and can create expectations of what content they will find on your blog.  If you call youself The YA Book Reviewer but then all you talk about is adult romance novels, people will be confused.  You also want your blog title to be catchy, something readers will easily remember.  My blog was originally called Amanda Pearl's Books which, while expressing the fact this is a book blog, isn't that memorable.  I love my title Pearl the Book Girl because it ties in my rather unique middle name with the intention of the blog in a catchy way. 

10.  Blog what you want, because you want.  This really should be number 1.  This blog is yours, and it's going to be you who spends time and energy creating it.  Why bother writing a blog if it's on a topic you're not extremely passionate about?  Don't read a book if you don't like it just because you want to review it, don't force yourself to write about topics you don't care about, and, to put it plainly, don't try and be someone your not.  Have fun with your blog, write what you want, and eff the rest. 

Pottermore Love!

Hello everyone!  I have officially joined Pottermore!  HOORAY!  I've been waiting forever for this, and yesterday was the day.  My username is SandSilver11229, feel free to friend me (but if you do, send me a message letting me know who you are so I know who is friend requesting me). 

I am reading my way through the books in conjunction with the site, and I have to say my initial impressions are extremely pleased.  I love the artwork and I LOVE how it walks through every chapter.  I highly recommend that you read your way through the website, it really adds to the reading experience.  Reading the inspirations for different places and characters and extra bits of information from J.K. Rowling are simply delightful.

Now, let's get on to what everyone really cares about, wands and houses.  The quizzes for both of these are super fun and not totally obvious.  I could argue where 2 or more houses could apply to most of the answers. 

Here are the questions for the wand.  Some of them don't have any kind of option (my eyes are green, can't change that) but others definitely took some more thought.

1.  Your height for you age
-Shorter
-Average
-Taller

2.  Eye Color
-Green

3.  Birthday Falls on an
-Odd day
-Even day

4.  Traveling alone down a deserted road, you reach a crossroads.
-left, toward the sea
-ahead, toward the Forest
-right, toward the castle

I chose the forest because I really dislike getting too much sun or being in too much water so the sea was out and I thought there would probably be a lot of annoying tourists at the castle.  The woods are beautiful and I'd probably be alone.

5.  You pride yourself most on your
-Resilience
-Intelligence
-Determination
-Kindness
-Originality
-Optimism
-Imagination

I was stuck between Intelligence and Imagination, but I decided that a good imagination is a sign of intelligence, so I went with that.

6.  Do you most fear
-Heights
-Fire
-Darkness
-Confined Spaces
-Isolation

This one wasn't really a challenge to pick.  I really don't like being somewhere and not being able to leave or get out.  Being trapped is very scary.

7.  In a chest of magical artifacts which would you choose
-Rolled up parchment
-Ornate mirror
-Silver dagger
-Old glove
-Glittering diamond
-Golden Key

I chose the key because I've always been a fan of secrets and hunting for treasures.  I wonder what this key will unlock?

So the wand I got is pretty cool, though I do admit I had no idea what Larch wood was (turns out it's a big tree with needles but still loses it's leaves in fall and is found in the cold northern regions of Canada and Russia).  I love that it has hidden abilities that will help the user bring out their full talents and give them more confidence.  I'm very pleased with the Phoenix Feather, because it is the most rare core type.  I am worried a bit about the hardness because that means we aren't very willing to change which can be a hindrance. 

Phoenix

This is the rarest core type. Phoenix feathers are capable of the greatest range of magic, though they may take longer than either unicorn or dragon cores to reveal this. They show the most initiative, sometimes acting of their own accord, a quality that many witches and wizards dislike.

Phoenix feather wands are always the pickiest when it comes to potential owners, for the creature from which they are taken is one of the most independent and detached in the world. These wands are the hardest to tame and to personalise, and their allegiance is usually hard won.

Larch

Strong, durable and warm in colour, larch has long been valued as an attractive and powerful wand wood. Its reputation for instilling courage and confidence in the user has ensured that demand has always outstripped supply. This much sought-after wand is, however, hard to please in the matter of ideal owners, and trickier to handle than many imagine. I find that it always creates wands of hidden talents and unexpected effects, which likewise describes the master who deserves it. It is often the case that the witch or wizard who belongs to the larch wand may never realise the full extent of their considerable talents until paired with it, but that they will then make an exceptional match.

Ok now let's get to the most important quiz, the sorting.  I was extremely nervous to take this test!  My heart was just hammering.  I took it very seriously and tried to answer the questions as honestly as I could and to really think about my answers.  I didn't really have any house loyalties before the test, but I didn't want to be Hufflepuff.  They aren't independent enough for my taste. 

1.  Would you rather invent a potion that would bring you...
-Power
-Love
-Glory
-Wisdom

I didn't want power because without wisdom or love I wouldn't be able to wield that power well.  I didn't want glory because I didn't want to be surrounded by a bunch of kiss-asses.  I was stuck between love and wisdom, but ultimately went with wisdom because I would rather know the truth then live in ignorant bliss.

2.  What are you most looking forward to studying at hogwarts?
-Apparition
-Transfiguration
-Flying on a broomstick
-Hexes and jinxes
-All about magical creatures
-Secrets about the castle
-Every area of magic that I can

I was torn between every area and secrets about the castle because I love exploring and hidden passages.  I chose everything because as I explored the castle I would need to know what to do if I ran into something unpleasant.  Also magic is just cool so I'd want to learn everything anyway.

3.  Which do you find difficult to deal with?
-Boredom
-Cold
-Hunger
-Loneliness
-Being Ignored

These are all tough, but I chose being ignored because that isn't something you can easily fix.  You can take steps to get rid of boredom, coldness, and hunger and being lonely means you have someone to miss.  Being ignored is someone doing something to you and no matter what you do it doesn't mean they will notice you.

4.  A muggle confronts you and says they are sure you are a witch.  Do you...
-Ask them what makes them thing so?-Agree and ask whether they'd like a free sample of a jinx?
-Agree and walk away, leaving them to wonder whether you're bluffing.
-Tell them you are worried about their mental health and offer to call a doctor.

I would ask them why they think that because then I could talk them out of their idea or prove them wrong.  I am not very confrontational so I don't think I would threaten them with a jinx but I also don't think I could play it cool enough to just walk away.  Telling them they're crazy sounds like I would be trying to cover something up.

5.   You enter an enchanted garden. What would you be most curious to examine first?
-The silver leafed tree bearing golden apples
-The fat red toadstools that appear to be talking to each other
-The bubbling pool, in the depths of which something luminous is swirling-The statue of an old wizard with a strangely twinkling eye



I was torn between the tree and the pool, but in the end I thought about what I would do in real life.  If I was in a garden I would go to the water fixture first, so I went with the pool.

6.  Moon or Stars?
-Moon
-Stars

Another tough one, but I chose the stars because I took an astronomy course in college and I loved learning all of the constellations.

7.  Left or Right?
-Left
-Right

I chose right because I am right handed.  Didn't go any deeper into it than that.

And the sorting hat placed me in.....

Ravenclaw!  I was hoping for Ravenclaw or Slytherin, so I was very happy with this sorting.  After you're sorted you get a welcome letter from one of your house prefects, and I knew I was in the perfect house when I read:

"Another cool thing about Ravenclaw is that our people are the most individual – some might even call them eccentrics. But geniuses are often out of step with ordinary folk, and unlike some other houses we could mention, we think you’ve got the right to wear what you like, believe what you want, and say what you feel. We aren’t put off by people who march to a different tune; on the contrary, we value them!"

Yeah, ok, I was never a Slytherin lol.  My whole life people have been saying I would be in Ravenclaw, and now I am convinced.  I will wear my blue and bronze with pride, let's go earn some house points!

The House of Dead Maids by Clare B. Dunkle

Published September 14, 2010 by Henry Holt and Co.
4 Stars

Goodreads Review
Young Tabby Aykroyd has been brought to the dusty mansion of Seldom House to be nursemaid to a foundling boy. He is a savage little creature, but the Yorkshire moors harbor far worse, as Tabby soon discovers. The ghost of the last maid will not leave Tabby in peace, yet this spirit is only one of many. Why do scores of dead maids and masters haunt Seldom House with a jealous devotion that extends beyond the grave? 

As Tabby struggles to escape the evil forces rising out of the land, she watches her young charge choose a different path. He is determined to keep Seldom House as his own. Though Tabby tries to befriend the uncouth urchin, her kindness cannot alter his fate. Long before he reaches the old farmhouse of Wuthering Heights, the boy who will become Heathcliff has doomed himself and any who try to befriend him. 

Review:  Confession time.  I have never read Wuthering Heights.  I don't really know what it's about.  I know there's a boy named Heathcliff and he's a bit of a douche to a girl named Cathy, but beyond that I got nothing.  The House of Dead Maids reads like a middle grade prequel/inspiration story for Wuthering Heights.  I think it would be great for a middle school student to help introduce them to the more Bronte/Austen style of writing.  I could see The House of Dead Maids being used in a middle school classroom and then Wuthering Heights being taught later in High School. 

The House of Dead Maids is very creepy.  I could totally see it being an episode of Are You Afraid of the Dark.  The story telling and pacing are very well done and while it isn't extremely scary, it maintains a level of suspense throughout the entire novel.  I also thought the ending of The House of Dead Maids was very clever.  I liked how it ties in the Bronte sisters and hints at the inspiration for Wuthering Heights.  It an interesting addition to the Wuthering Heights tale, and it has definitely made me want to read Wuthering Heights. 

Overall The House of Dead Maids is a great middle grade Gothic tale that maintains a a suspenseful tone without becoming too scary.  I think will help spur an interest in classics in young readers and I would recommend it to any reader who is looking for a quick and ghostly story.

Friday Face Off Cover Reveal: Splintered

Friday Face Off is a meme hosted by one of my favorite book bloggers Misty over at The Book Rat.  Usually this meme focuses on different cover designs for the same book and decides which is better for the story.  I wanted to take this meme and add a little twist to it today by discussing a cover reveal! 

 

Splintered by A.G. Howard is a debut that isn't set to come out until 2013, but it already is one of my most anticipated debuts for the year.  Splintered is a re-imagining of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and it sounds totally awesome.  It's about a girl named Alyssa, the great-great-great-granddaughter of Alice Liddell, who goes into Wonderland to try and save the realm. 

 

 

And look at this cover!  It is so beautiful :).  I love the vibrant colors and all of the little bugs and flowers.  The only thing I don't like about the cover is how her hair covers one of her eyes.  Is that eye even there?  It's a bit freaky.

Across the Universe by Beth Revis

#1 in the Across the Universe series
Published January 11, 2011 by Razorbill
2 Stars

Goodreads Review
A love out of time. A spaceship built of secrets and murder.

Seventeen-year-old Amy joins her parents as frozen cargo aboard the vast spaceship Godspeed and expects to awaken on a new planet, three hundred years in the future. Never could she have known that her frozen slumber would come to an end fifty years too soon and that she would be thrust into the brave new world of a spaceship that lives by its own rules.

Amy quickly realizes that her awakening was no mere computer malfunction. Someone-one of the few thousand inhabitants of the spaceship-tried to kill her. And if Amy doesn't do something soon, her parents will be next.

Now Amy must race to unlock Godspeed's hidden secrets. But out of her list of murder suspects, there's only one who matters: Elder, the future leader of the ship and the love she could never have seen coming. 

Review:  Look at this cover.  Look at it.  It is phenomenal.  Seriously, take off the words and I'd hang that on my wall.  But sadly I cannot say the story inside the book was as wildly exciting as the cover.  I rarely think that books are overwritten, but There were so many plot twists it got to be too much and I found myself figuring out everything long before they were revealed and rolling my eyes. 

The biggest problem in Across the Universe is world building, as is often the case with lack luster science fiction.  I did not understand why there needed to be a society of people to maintain the ship in the first place.  Couldn't there be a group of frozen technicians who are awaken at certain intervals?  Couldn't most of the ship's functions be run by computers?  Also, what was the point in the mission at all?  I don't remember if that was explained but I never really knew why Amy and her parents were frozen in the first place. 

I found myself really disliking Elder and Amy, the two main characters.  I felt like there wasn't anything special enough about either of them to make them stand out and I couldn't relate.  Amy was particularly bland.  I came away from the novel knowing she was different because she had red hair, liked track and field, and spent a lot of time whining about her parents, her ex-boyfriend, and how different life on the ship is.  I got a bit of a better feeling for Elder, mostly because he had the opportunity to develop as he learns more about Eldest and the deceptions of the ship's government.  What really bothered me about these characters was how terrible things could happen to them but then they'd get over it in a matter of minutes.  Amy, in particular, had some very unbelievable reactions.  The romance between these two was boring and poorly paced.  By the time they finally meet we're a third of the way through the book and I found it very difficult to care. 

There were some good themes in Across the Universe, namely does quality of life matter if something can survive?  It questions government control through various means: medicinal, class structure, and religion.  It was like Revis had these great ethical themes that were bogged down with poorly built science fiction and tiresome romance. 

Across the Universe looks like a beautiful romance set in outer space, but don't let that cover fool you.  The book plods along with a clunky and more than slightly creepy romance and while there are some huge plot twists, they're hinted at with extremely obvious clues and then solved with extremely convenient solutions.  This would have been a one star read, but that stunning cover is worth a star all on it's own.

Top Ten Tuesday 4/10/2012: Top Ten Books That Were Totally Deceiving

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish.  This meme was created because we are particularly fond of lists here at The Broke and the Bookish.  We'd love to share our lists with other bookish folks and would LOVE to see your top ten lists!

Each week we will post a new top ten list complete with one of our bloggers' answers.  Everyone is welcome to join.  All we ask is that you link back to The Broke and the Bookish on your own Top Ten Tuesday post AND post a comment on our post with a link to your Top Ten Tuesday post to share with us and all those who are participating.  If you don't have a blog, just post your answers in the comments.

Long time no see huh?  I haven't done a Top Ten Tuesday since January!  But this week's topic was too good to pass up.

TOP TEN BOOKS THAT WERE TOTALLY DECEIVING (AKA COVER FRAUD)

1.  Carrier of the Mark by Leigh Fallon - I love this cover, it is just beautiful.  Sadly the story inside is not so much.

2.  Across the Universe by Beth Revis  - This cover is GORGEOUS!  I seriously love it so much.  But that's about where the love of this book ends sadly.

3.  Wither by Lauren DeStefano - Sometimes I feel alone in this, but I didn't really like Wither.  The cover is amazingly beautiful, but the book fell completely flat.

4.  The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin - This book had SO MUCH HYPE.  Seriously, I was quivering with anticipation once this cover was revealed.  Too bad I didn't really like the book :(

5.  Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead - It's no secret that I HATE this cover with a burning passion.  I didn't read this series for the longest time because of the terrible covers.  But once I got over my prejudice and actually read the book I fell in literary love.

6.  Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick - I love the sexy man cover of Hush, Hush, but the book?  Not so much.

7.  Divergent by Veronica Roth - I have to be honest, I really don't like the cover of Divergent.  If there hadn't been a lot of hype I'm not sure I would have picked it up.  Now that I know more about the story I like the cover a lot more, but if I were coming to it knowing nothing?  I would pass it by.

 8.  Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor - I really dislike this cover, it does nothing for me.  However, I really freaking loved this book!  Daughter of Smoke and Bone is the best paranormal romance I've ever read.

 9.  Tris & Izzie by Bette Ive Harrison - This cover is stunning, but Tris & Izzie may be the worst book I've ever read.  Ever.

10.  The Iron Knight by Julie Kagawa - I loved the covers of the first three books in the Iron Fey series, but The Iron Knight cover is nowhere near as good (though I do like the fact that Puck is on the back).  However, The Iron Knight is my favorite book of the series! 

The Marbury Lens by Andrew Smith

#1 in the Marbury Lens series
Published November 9, 2010 by Feiwel and Friends
4 Stars

Goodreads Review
Sixteen-year-old Jack gets drunk and is in the wrong place at the wrong time. He is kidnapped. He escapes, narrowly. The only person he tells is his best friend, Conner. When they arrive in London as planned for summer break, a stranger hands Jack a pair of glasses. Through the lenses, he sees another world called Marbury.  There is war in Marbury. It is a desolate and murderous place where Jack is responsible for the survival of two younger boys. Conner is there, too. But he’s trying to kill them.  Meanwhile, Jack is falling in love with an English girl, and afraid he’s losing his mind.  Conner tells Jack it’s going to be okay. But it’s not.  Andrew Smith has written his most beautiful and personal novel yet, as he explores the nightmarish outer limits of what trauma can do to our bodies and our minds.


Review:  The Marbury Lens is, well, weird.  Good weird, but weird all the same.  The best way I can describe it is half The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson and half the movie The Road Warrior.  The Marbury Lens is an experiential book.  It doesn't bother to give you a lot of background.  You don't learn how the lens work or why Marbury is the way it is, you're just thrown into the world and are forced to sink or swim much like the main character Jack.  And you're not just swimming in water,  you're wading through blood and fear, sweat and pain.  The Marbury Lens is violent, intense, agonizing, and completely engrossing.

What I really loved about The Marbury Lens was how it didn't hold back.  I am a huge horror fan and this book did not skimp on the gory details.  I felt everything in this book as if I was in Marbury too.  When Jack saw a dismembered body and gagged my stomach roiled.  When Jack began to question his sanity, I felt the same anxiety.  In much the same way as how Jack cannot resist the pull of The Marbury Lens, I too found myself consumed by this book, despite the horror contained within it's pages. 

I loved the ambiguity of The Marbury Lens.  We never really figure out if Marbury is real, a symptom of post traumatic stress or worse, an imagined escape.  And that's what makes it so awesome.  I love it when a book is completely not the normal YA fare and I think "What is this thing I'm reading!?".  The Marbury Lens delivers, and the ending?  Had my mouth hanging open in disbelief.  I cannot wait for the second book, Passenger, due sometime in 2012.

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